Protesters Breach Washington Governor's Mansion

OLYMPIA, WA — Several dozen pro-Trump protesters briefly breached the gate of the governor's mansion in Olympia Wednesday.

The incident started as a rally earlier in the day, when several hundred protesters held an "Occupy the Capitol" rally outside the Legislative Building. Rally organizers with Patriot Prayer repeatedly told news outlets that they had no intention of causing damage.

But after several hours on scene some protesters began to get agitated, ultimately breaking through the gates of the governor's mansion around 3 p.m.

Footage shared over social media shows the group cheering as they march their way through the gates.

Washington State Patrol was called to respond to the break-in and quickly confirmed that Gov. Jay Inslee and his family were not in danger.

The governor later issued a video address, confirming that he and his wife Trudi had been at the mansion at the time of the breach, but were safe and unharmed.

In his address, the governor called both the breach of the governor's mansion and the breach of the nation's Capitol "acts of intimidation" and stressed that the rule of law would not be swayed by these actions.

"We will continue the work we are doing to protect the health of Washingtonians," Inslee said, a reference to the protest's demands that he lift COVID-19 restrictions. "In D.C., Congress will follow the will of the American people and take yet another step along the long march to protecting people’s right to self-government that has so far succeeded through frequent moments of tension in our nation's history."

Shortly after arriving, WSP cleared the mansion grounds of protesters, though many lingered just outside the mansion gates for some time following their eviction. Others chose to march back to the legislative building where the rally began. As of 4:30 p.m. law enforcement says the crowd had largely dispersed.

There have been no reports of injures or damages related to the incident thus far, though Sara Gentzler, a reporter for The Olympian, shared that she and other members of the media had been harassed by protesters, one of whom threatened to shoot journalists covering the event.

The Washington State Patrol says there have been no arrests related to the breach, but trespassing charges could be possible depending on their follow-up investigation. When asked why none of the protesters had been arrested on scene, WSP said they were concerned first with making sure the crowd dispersed peacefully, and would be worrying about arrests later.

"If they're not creating violence at the moment, and they're not destroying property, we have time on our hands," said WSP spokesman Darren Wright.

WSP says they will also be investigating to determine how this situation could have been prevented. State patrol are currently preparing for a similar protest planned for Monday, in which a far-right militia has announced plans to storm the capitol building.

"We will evaluate this situation and see how we can do better in the future," Wright said.

Footage of the break-in appears to show protesters entering through an open gate, leading to some speculation on how exactly the crowd managed to force their way in, given that the gate normally requires an operator to open. When questioned about the issue, Wright said the gate had not been damaged, and admitted his agency did not yet know how the gate had been opened.

Related: Lawmakers Debate Open Carry Ban At Protests And Capitol

Protesters on scene told reporters they had breached the grounds in an attempt to speak with Inslee. Many at the rally expressed anger and frustration with Inslee's COVID-19 restrictions, which they viewed as unnecessary.

Others said they had gathered to rally both for President Trump and for gubernatorial candidate Loren Culp. Both candidates lost by significant margins in the November General Election, and both refused to concede. Instead, they espouse unsubstantiated claims that massive voter fraud cost them the election. Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman, a Republican like Culp and Trump, says both claims of fraud are baseless.

The break-in at the governor's mansion mirrors the mob of protesters who breached the capitol earlier Wednesday in Washington D.C. as Congress convened in a joint session to count the Electoral College votes and ratify the 2020 presidential election for Democrats Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. The D.C. riot ended with one person killed.